Overview
The professional curriculum is an intensive two-year, eight-month experience leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. The principle focus of this professional training is to develop scientific and clinical expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of movement-related conditions. By integrating biomedical and physical sciences and clinical education with behavioral and social sciences, the DPT curriculum (PDF) provides students with the scientific expertise, critical thinking skills and interpersonal communication abilities necessary for effective clinical practice, comprehensive treatment design, patient advocacy, patient education and health promotion.
Clinical Education
Over the course of the programs, students are provided with clinical education in class, part-time clinical experiences, and full-time clinical internships. The program exposes students to patient care in various settings and to the treatment of a number of conditions.
We encourage students to travel for at least one clinical experience to obtain the broadest possible exposure. We affiliate with hundreds of sites across the United States; only one third of our clinical sites are within the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Research Opportunities
While students in the DPT degree program are not required to generate original research, they can take advantage of opportunities to participate in ongoing faculty research. Students may participate in a study or apply for an assistantship.
In addition, through an NIH-funded predoctoral research training grant awarded through the School of Medicine, a limited number of opportunities are available to students who wish to participate in a faculty-guided research project. For further details, please visit the Clinical Research Training Center website.
Application and Eligibility
Apply for the DPT degree program online using the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS).
To be eligible to apply for the DPT degree program, applicants must have the following:
- A bachelor's degree (or be in the process of completing one) from an institution accredited by a national accreditation agency that is recognized by the Department of Education.
- Prerequisite courses in biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and statistics. For a complete list, visit the Program in Physical Therapy website.
- Science, math/science, and core prerequisites with a grade point average of at least 3.0
- A demonstrated commitment to a career in physical therapy.
Visit our website for more information regarding application and admissions or eligibility and prerequisites.
DPT Curriculum
Year One, Fall
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Early Clinical Experience | ||
| PHYSTHER 8101 | Patient and Client Care 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8102 | Knowledge for Practice 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8103 | Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8104 | Interpersonal & Communication Skills 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8105 | Professionalism 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8106 | Systems-Based Practice 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8107 | Interprofessional Collaboration 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8108 | Personal & Professional Development 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8110 | Learning, Health and Equity | 1 |
| PHYSTHER 8120 | Professions and Movement | 1 |
| PHYSTHER 8130 | Movement and Population Health | 2 |
| PHYSTHER 8140 | Movement and Precision Health | 10-15 |
Year One, Spring
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Early Clinical Experience | ||
| PHYSTHER 8101 | Patient and Client Care 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8102 | Knowledge for Practice 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8103 | Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8104 | Interpersonal & Communication Skills 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8105 | Professionalism 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8106 | Systems-Based Practice 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8107 | Interprofessional Collaboration 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8108 | Personal & Professional Development 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8140 | Movement and Precision Health | 10-15 |
Year One, Summer
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSTHER 8101 | Patient and Client Care 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8102 | Knowledge for Practice 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8103 | Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8104 | Interpersonal & Communication Skills 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8105 | Professionalism 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8106 | Systems-Based Practice 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8107 | Interprofessional Collaboration 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8108 | Personal & Professional Development 1 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8191 | Clinical Experience I | 4 |
Year Two, Fall
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSTHER 8201 | Patient and Client Care 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8202 | Knowledge for Practice 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8203 | Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8204 | Interpersonal & Communication Skills 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8205 | Professionalism 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8206 | Systems-Based Practice 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8207 | Interprofessional Collaboration 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8208 | Personal & Professional Development 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8250 | Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Movement Problems | 12 |
Year Two, Spring
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSTHER 8201 | Patient and Client Care 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8202 | Knowledge for Practice 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8203 | Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8204 | Interpersonal & Communication Skills 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8205 | Professionalism 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8206 | Systems-Based Practice 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8207 | Interprofessional Collaboration 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8208 | Personal & Professional Development 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8260 | Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Complex Movement Problems | 6 |
| PHYSTHER 8292 | Clinical Experience II | 4 |
Year Two, Summer
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSTHER 8201 | Patient and Client Care 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8202 | Knowledge for Practice 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8203 | Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8204 | Interpersonal & Communication Skills 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8205 | Professionalism 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8206 | Systems-Based Practice 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8207 | Interprofessional Collaboration 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8208 | Personal & Professional Development 2 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8260 | Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Complex Movement Problems | 6 |
Year Three, Fall
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSTHER 8301 | Patient and Client Care 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8302 | Knowledge for Practice 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8303 | Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8304 | Interpersonal & Communication Skills 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8305 | Professionalism 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8306 | Systems-Based Practice 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8307 | Interprofessional Collaboration 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8308 | Personal & Professional Development 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8393 | Clinical Experience III | 5 |
| PHYSTHER 8394 | Clinical Experience IV | 6 |
Year Three, Spring
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSTHER 8301 | Patient and Client Care 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8302 | Knowledge for Practice 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8303 | Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8304 | Interpersonal & Communication Skills 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8305 | Professionalism 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8306 | Systems-Based Practice 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8307 | Interprofessional Collaboration 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8308 | Personal & Professional Development 3 | 0.5 |
| PHYSTHER 8370 | Practice and Movement | 10 |
| PHYSTHER 8380 | Practice, Health and Equity | 1 |